Boney Ridge Traverse

Boney Ridge Traverse is a 9.9 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Malibu, California that offers scenic views and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

dogs on leash

backpacking

hiking

nature trips

views

no shade

Due to the December 2018 Woolsey Fire, there are still closed areas of the Santa Monica Mountains. Please check the National Park Service website for further information: https://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
This hike is a great adventure with a wide diversity of spectacular scenery. The trail heads down the abandoned Serrano Rd to the signed Serrano Valley Loop trail on your right. You will have stunning views of the valley and Boney mountain along the way. At about 3.5 miles, you will reach a T junction, bear right on Old Boney trail for .9 miles, then at another junction stay pointed east on the Backbone trail.
As you gain elevation the views and rock formations get progressively more impressive. Continue to a signed junction at the 8 mile mark, and head left towards Split Rock and the Mishe Mokwa trail. Enjoy a break at Split rock and look for Balanced Rock above echo cliffs on the way to the car. The route finding on this hike is a bit challenging. You should pick up the Tom Harrison trail map of the Santa Monica Mountains West. You may also want to take the Mishe Mokwa and Serrano Canyon hikes first before attempting this route.

You will need 2 cars for this hike. From Westlake Village, exit on Westlake Blvd from the 101 Freeway, and follow it south for several miles as it merges with Mulholland highway. Turn right onto Little Sycamore Canyon and it will become Yerba Buena Road as you cross the county line. Proceed on Yerba Buena Road for about 4 miles to the Mishe Mokwa trailhead (about a mile before you hit the Circle X Ranch Ranger Station). Drop 1 car off here.
Continue several miles towards the beach on Yerba Buena to Cotharin road, turn, then after a mile or so, turn right on Serrano Road and follow it to the gate. The road past the gate is the start of this adventure.

Did the entire trail plus an additional 1.7 out and back with a few hundred of elevation gain as our dogs went home (we live off the beginning of the trail and i dont think they realized we didnt turn up). parked halfway down serrano and left a car at sandstone's circle x parking lot. not a technical trail by any means but significant elevation gain and long. had a large nathan pack and 4 water bottles that dogd myself and hubby finished halfway thru. bring water, leave the parked car no later than 7.
we see boney ridge as our backyard and wanted to be able to say we hiked that ::points to it:: but the views FROM the ridge are not spectacular in the least bit. they are predominantly north-facing and i was hoping to see more of out neigborhood (south facing malibu not north facing newbury).